


Charmed 212: The (Second) Wedding Of Prudence Halliwell

by Metal_Ox137



Series: Charmed AU2 [12]
Category: Charmed (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 13:25:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6659845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Ox137/pseuds/Metal_Ox137
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em> You are cordially invited to witness the marriage ceremony of Prudence Trudeau and Darryl Morris at the San Francisco Cathedral of All Saints, Saturday, 20 May, 2000 at 3 P.M. Reception to follow. Please check your demons at the church entrance.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Charmed 212: The (Second) Wedding Of Prudence Halliwell

It was a drizzly Friday evening in San Francisco, and in her loft apartment in Chinatown, Phoebe Halliwell was listening intently as her sister, Paige Matthews, was telling a bedtime story to their niece, Patience Trudeau. The three of them were snuggled together in the sofa hide-a-bed in the living room, with Patience contentedly cocooned between her aunties, while gentle rain pattered on the skylights overhead.  
"A long, long time ago," ebony-haired Paige began her story, her breathy voice soft and low, "In a far-off land known as the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, there sat a magic egg. And the wind from the East blew on the magic egg, and from the egg came a stone monkey, and his name was Sun Wukong..."  
Paige shot a quick glance at her sister Phoebe, who grinned delightedly at her; then Paige focused all her attention on her niece, letting her voice slowly rise and fall in cadence with the story, and while Patience did her best to keep rapt attention, her eyelids quickly drooped, growing heavier and heavier.  
"... And he made friends with all the tigers and leopards and deer, and of course, all the other monkeys. During the hot summer days, Sun Wukong and the other monkeys would hide in the shade of the tall trees, picking flowers, eating fruit and chasing dragonflies; and at night, they slept on the rock faces and stones that had been warmed in the sun. Every day, after the monkeys finished their playtime, they would bathe in the mountain stream; and one day, one of the monkeys said, 'I wonder where all that water comes from? It must go all the way to the bottom of the mountain and join the waves of the sea.' ..."  
Patience snuggled up to Paige, resting her head on the pillow, not yet asleep but carried inexorably towards her dreams on the sound of her auntie's voice.  
"... And another monkey said, 'If one of us is clever enough to make his way through the waterfall and find its source, and come back alive, let's make him our king.' And all the monkeys talked amongst themselves, and they agreed this was a good plan. The challenge was then repeated twice more, and after the challenge had been made for the third time, Sun Wukong leaped up, and he shouted, 'I'll go, I'll go!' - for he was a very _clever_ monkey..."  
Patience slowly rolled onto her side, pressing herself against Paige, a sure sign that sleep was only moments from claiming her.  
"... And Sun Wukong crouched down, for he knew he had to make a mighty leap; and then he made a great leap up, through the waterfall, and when he opened his eyes, he saw neither water or waves. Instead, he found himself standing on a wide footbridge built into the side of the mountain, and the bridge was made of iron..."  
Paige paused for a moment, listening; her niece's breathing was deep and regular, her ferry ride to the dreamland safely purchased.  
"... annnnnd she's out," Paige proclaimed in a whisper. She grinned at her sister. "Betcha didn't know I could channel my inner monkey like that, didjya?"  
Phoebe did her best to suppress a fit of giggles. "That has to be one of the most adorable things I've ever seen," Phoebe whispered back.  
Paige smiled shyly. "Maybe one night, she'll stay awake long enough for me to recite the whole thing. Then I can get every one of my monkey faces in."  
"You're so good with her. I can't wait to see you with kids of your own."  
"Oh, Pheeble, I'm nowhere near ready for that," Paige protested, but as she gazed down at her sleeping niece, it was only too obvious the child was written indelibly on her heart.  
"So, are we all set for the weekend?"  
"Got the next week and a half off," Paige nodded, still whispering. "The spa reservations have been made, the jazz band is ready for the reception, and I loaded up the freezer with extra fish sticks and cheese slices - since our niece is basically living here until mommy and daddy come back."  
"When do your folks arrive?"  
"Wednesday. I was going to ask if you wouldn't mind taking Patience that night?"  
"Not a problem," Phoebe assured her.  
"Thanks," Paige sighed in relief. "My dad and mom are coming in early. They've only seen me once since I got out of the hospital, and they want to take me to dinner before we get too tied up with wedding stuff - mostly, they just want to assure themselves I'm really okay."  
"Did you see Sam - I mean, your father - yesterday?"  
"Yeah, and you won't believe how he's cleaned himself up. Shaved the beard off, got a proper haircut, and even some clean clothes. I barely recognized him."  
"You had a good time with him, then."  
"We did," Paige bobbed her head. "Kinda surprised at how nice it was, actually. It's still a little weird for both of us, but this is so much better than what I was dealing with before."  
Phoebe made a mental note that what happened before couldn't possibly have been any worse, but she said nothing.  
"Anyway, Sam says he's almost finished collecting mom's letters," Paige continued. "I think he's planning to give them to the three of us as a sort of wedding present."  
"You call your father Sam?"  
"Well... yeah."  
"Even to his face?"  
"We both decided we'd try just 'Sam' for now," Paige admitted. "We're taking the whole father/daughter thing with baby steps. But it's really wonderful, Phoebe - he's telling me all kinds of stuff about our family now. And I can't wait for you guys to hear it, too."  
"I'm so happy for you, sweetie."  
"Thanks. None of this would have happened without you." Paige smiled gratefully at her sister. "Hey, is Kai coming over this weekend?"  
Phoebe shook her head. "Henry invited him to join the stag party with the boys, so they'll all be back Sunday night."  
"So it's just us girls all weekend? Are you taking Prue for her wax and pedi tomorrow?"  
"Actually, Prue would rather wait until Monday or Tuesday, so all three of us can go together. We need at least one of the boys to babysit."  
"Sounds great. So, that means we just need to finish the catering arrangements at the reception hall tomorrow, and we have the rest of the weekend for goofing off."  
"There's something else we need to do, though," Phoebe declared. "Something really important."  
"Oh? And what's that?"

"We're taking you to get your hair done," Phoebe declared.  
"Oh, really." Prue seemed bemused.  
It was now Saturday morning, and Paige and Phoebe had returned to Prue's apartment with Patience in tow. The sisters were gathered around the dinette, having a modest breakfast of coffee, scones and fruit.  
"Prue? That whole strands of grey hair thing is great for distinguished college professors, but you're getting married next Saturday. It's time to glamour things up," Paige assured her.  
Prue sighed, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "You guys, it's just gonna grow back. I'm not vain enough to try to hide the fact I'm getting older."  
"It's not about hiding anything, Prue, it's about looking your very best for your future husband," Phoebe pleaded. "On your very special once-in-a-lifetime day."  
"Darryl will _love_ it," Paige seconded. "Once we get you all sleek and jet black again, he won't be able to keep his hands off you. Not that he has that problem now..."  
"All right, all right," Prue surrendered, laughing. "You guys can glamour me up. I see you've got your hearts set on it."  
"You won't regret this," Phoebe promised.  
"I'm regretting it already," Prue retorted, but she was smiling broadly. "But sleek isn't happening. In fact, I have to call Alison to let her know I need her to let out my dress another inch."  
"Well, you wanted to be showing, when you walk down the aisle," Phoebe said, nodding towards Prue's rapidly expanding midsection. "It's safe to say, you'll be doing that."  
"I know, isn't it great?" Prue's face lit up with her most radiant smile.  
"Prue, I love you and all, and don't take this wrong way, but... sometimes, you're really weird," Paige declared solemnly.  
Prue took no offense at the comment; in fact, she laughed heartily. "Like I said before, baby sister, don't knock it until you've tried it. All right then, you win. Come on, ladies, let's go get ourselves glamoured up."

A yellow taxicab pulled up to the entrance of Prue's apartment building. A middle-aged man, smartly dressed in a dark business suit, and boasting a fastidiously trimmed mane of rapidly greying hair, stepped from the passenger's door. He counted out a handful of bills and handed them to the driver. Accepting them with thanks, the driver checked the street for oncoming traffic, and then pulled away from the curb.  
Victor Bennett stared up at the nondescript building with sour expression on his face, and sighed heavily.  
"Might as well get this over with," he muttered to himself.  
He entered the lobby, trudging slowly, and pressed the button for the elevator. As he waited for the car to arrive, Bennett let his thoughts and memories churn. There really wasn't a happy memory he could recall that involved his children. In fact, although he had attended Piper and Phoebe's funeral service, Prue had refused even to speak to him then - and he had not pressured her to do so. He had left after the service without once speaking to his eldest daughter, and now was struggling to remember when in fact they had last spoken. It had easily been years. He had some vague recollection of a bitter argument during Prue's first year of college - and after that - had there been anything at all?  
A muted chime signaled the arrival of the elevator, and Bennett stepped inside the car and pressed the button for the seventh floor. He cursed himself inwardly. Of course he should have reached out to Prue sooner than this - his eldest daughter would be only full of bristling anger and suspicion if he announced himself now. Yet, there was little he could do about it.  
Arriving at the landing, Bennett was momentarily disoriented as there were hallways leading off in three directions, for each wing of the apartment complex. He made note of the numbers on the doors to assure himself he was headed in the right direction. He found the door he wanted, and stood outside for a long moment, hesitating to knock. _It's her life,_ he told himself firmly, and raised his hand.

In the kitchen, the sisters heard gentle knocking at the door, and they all looked at each other quizzically.  
"Are you expecting anyone this morning?" Phoebe asked.  
Prue shook her head. "Not today," she answered.  
Phoebe got up quickly, being nearest the door. "Uh uh," she tutted at Prue. "You stay put, Mrs. Mom-to-be."  
"For Heaven's sake, Phoebe, it'll be at least another month before I'm waddling," Prue remonstrated, but Phoebe was already out of the kitchen and at the apartment door. She opened it wide.  
"Yes, can I hellllp... oh, my God."  
Victor Bennett's eyes all but started out of his skull. "Phoebe?"  
"Ohh, boy - Prue? PRUE?!" Phoebe called out in her "this is trouble" voice.  
"But - you're dead," Bennett protested, staring at Phoebe open-mouthed.  
"What is it, Phoebe?" Prue asked, coming into the living room.  
"It's our dad - I mean, _your_ dad, I mean - it's ... _him."_ She pointed frantically at Bennett.  
_"Dad?"_ Prue's mouth also fell open from shock.  
"She's not dead," Bennett gibbered, pointing at Phoebe. "Why is she _not dead?!"_  
Phoebe glanced at her sister. "Cover story? No cover story?" she asked.  
"No cover story," Prue answered tersely. "Dad, what the hell are you doing here?"  
"For the love of God, Prue, what have you done?" Bennett choked. "Are you raising the dead now?"  
"I'm not dead," Phoebe felt constrained to point out.  
"I can see that," Bennett retorted, but he still looked like a man dangerously close to a cardiac arrest.  
"What's going on?" Paige asked, coming into the room, with Patience close behind. "Who's the old guy?"  
"She's supposed to be dead," Bennett said to Prue, clearly aggrieved.  
"Yeah, can we please stop with the whole 'I'm supposed to be dead' thing?" Phoebe protested. "It's starting to creep me out."  
Without turning around, and keeping her hostile gaze firmly fixed upon Bennett, Prue answered Paige's question. "Paige, this is Victor Bennett, my - my father."  
"Oh! It's, uh, nice to meet you," Paige called out, not quite able to offer a hand of greeting around the knot of people at the door. She turned an apprehensive glance to Prue. "Ah - it _is_ nice to meet him ... isn't it?"  
"Grandpa!" Patience had never seen the older man before, but clearly she understood that the father of her mother must be her grandfather, and without further thought, rushed to him and wrapped her small arms tightly around his leg.  
Bennett looked down, bemused and startled, and then looked up at Prue. "Grandpa...?" he echoed.  
Prue reached forward with astonishing speed, gathered her daughter up into her arms and pulled her away.  
"Don't you _dare_ touch my child," she hissed, in a voice neither Phoebe nor Paige had heard from their sister before. As they looked at her, the irises of Prue's eyes were lost, engulfed in demonic flame.  
"Oh, boy," Phoebe swallowed hard, and Patience, suddenly frightened and not understanding her mother's reaction, began to cry.  
"Paige, take Patience," Phoebe ordered quickly. "Go back into the kitchen. NOW."  
Paige didn't argue. She gently took the sobbing child from Prue's arms and hugged her close, kissing her cheek. "It's going to be all right, sweetheart," she murmured, as she hurried back to the kitchen. "Everything is going to be fine."  
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Prue demanded.  
"Why is she not dead?" Bennett retorted in the same angry voice, pointing at Phoebe.  
"Can we STOP with the dead thing!" Phoebe yelled, getting just as angry as the other two. "Look - dad - Victor - whoever you are - can you _please_ just answer Prue's question."  
Bennett simply gawked, his mouth making spasmodic movements, but no sound came out.  
"Let's get you into a chair before you have a coronary," Phoebe decided, gently but firmly pushing Prue to one side and helping Bennett to the nearest chair. He sank into it without realizing he was being seated.  
"All right, let's take these things one at a time," Phoebe said aloud, closing the door behind her. She knelt down beside the chair where Bennett was sitting.  
"Hello, Victor," she introduced herself. "My name's Phoebe. I'm not your daughter. I look like her, but I promise you, I'm someone else."  
"You're - not Phoebe?" Bennett asked in a strangled voice.  
"Not your Phoebe, no."  
Paige appeared again, only just long enough to hand Bennett a glass of water, then she retreated instantly again to the kitchen. Patience's wails had died down, but not yet subsided.  
Bennett took a long drink from the glass, and Phoebe took it from him, setting it on the low coffee table.  
"Better?" she asked.  
"You - you look just like her," Bennett replied, still numb with shock.  
"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment," Phoebe offered a neutral smile, trying to reassure the man enough to get some sense out of him.  
Prue had managed to get the worst of her emotions under control, and her eyes had resumed their normal dark green color. She stood in front of the chair.  
"Dad, what are you doing here?" she asked, for what was probably the third time.  
Bennett looked up at her, still clearly in shock. "You have a daughter?" he asked.  
Phoebe stood up from her low crouch. "He clearly wasn't expecting dead daughters and live granddaughters," she commented.  
"Yeah, well, I wasn't expecting absent fathers," muttered Prue darkly.  
There was another knock at the door. Phoebe and Prue looked at each other blankly.  
"Any other lost relatives dropping by?" Phoebe asked.  
"Don't answer it," Prue pleaded.  
"Prue," called a familiar voice, muffled by the door. "Are you there? It's Rex Buckland."  
Phoebe's eyes went wide. "Uhh, should I -?"  
Prue nodded tersely, and Phoebe opened the door. Rex Buckland smiled at her broadly.  
"Phoebe. Thank goodness," he sighed with obvious relief. "Is your sister at home?"  
"Uhh - "  
"May I come in, please? I'm afraid this is rather urgent."  
Bemused, Phoebe stood aside to let the suave and youngish-looking demon enter the premises.  
"Prue. You're all right?" Buckland asked, seeing her.  
"Rex, what are you doing here?"  
"Actually, I'm here because of - him." He pointed to Bennett, still seated in the chair, and still clearly processing a state of shock.  
"Do you know what's going on, Rex?"  
"He hasn't told you anything?"  
"He just got here," Phoebe explained.  
"Ah. I'm still in time, then."  
"Time for what?" Prue asked with increasing vexation. "Will somebody _please_ tell me what is going on?"  
"Ah. Well, your estranged father is here because he's trying to protect you from a demon."  
"He's _what?"_  
"And I'm here to stop him."  
_"What?!"_ Phoebe exclaimed loudly.  
"Talk fast, Rex," Prue demanded through clenched teeth.  
"Prue, you remember when you first got your powers back? I mean, your new ones."  
"What about them?"  
"Well ... strictly speaking, they're not yours."  
"I'm sorry, what?"  
"You and your sisters were never meant to switch powers, Prue. The only reason your powers ended up with your younger sister instead is ... well ... they could not return to you. Something was getting in the way. Something demonic."  
Paige came out of the kitchen, standing near enough the entryway to keep one eye on Patience and listen to the conversation.  
"I don't understand," Prue frowned.  
"You'll remember I tried to warn you, summoning fire is strictly a demonic power. It turns out, in this case, those specific powers belong to one particular demon. And he wants them badly enough that he's planning to kill you, to get them back. Your father was attempting to negotiate to have the powers removed from you, leaving you unharmed - and got in well over his head, I'm afraid. Fortunately, I got here in time to stop him."  
"What? You _want_ Prue to be killed?" Phoebe asked, aghast.  
"Of course not," Buckland ruffed indignantly. "Don't be ridiculous."  
"How did Prue end up with some demon's powers?" Paige asked, walking farther into the room.  
"Yes. Well. Here comes the awkward bit," Buckland grimaced. "She's actually had those powers for some time now. Since her sisters died, in fact. She just didn't know it."  
"But you did?"  
Buckland gave Paige an appraising look. "I told you before, Paige - Prue and I are always looking to sway one another against our natures. Yes, I knew. And I was hoping as the powers took hold, I might stand a far better chance of coaxing her over to the side of evil of her own free will."  
"You son of a BITCH!" Paige yelled angrily, punching Buckland as hard as she could.  
"Ouch!" Buckland winced at the blow. "Paige, that _hurt."_  
"Don't call me that, you - you _demon!"_  
"Back to Miss Matthews, are we?" Buckland sighed with chagrin. "My Paige privileges have been revoked."  
"Rex, I don't understand," Prue waved at Paige to tell her to stand down. "We did the invocation. And all three of us got our powers back."  
"I'm sorry, Prue, but no - that's not exactly what happened."  
"Then what did happen, exactly?" growled Phoebe.  
"To you, Phoebe, nothing. Your power is exactly the same. It manifests a little differently in this reality, but it is effectively the same power. And when you did your invocation, Prue's power couldn't return to her. A demonic force was already residing within her. And I'm sure, that was a result of the magical rupture that occurred when Piper died. The force was somehow transferred into Prue. It remained dormant, however, because all magic got siphoned out of the ether and barricaded."  
Buckland gave them a humorless smile. "You remember, I told you about the consequences to demons everywhere - just before this past Christmas. Powers ripped violently from magical beings, leaving them shells of their former selves. Sadly for Prue, she was standing just close enough to one of those demons to have the power enter the first magical being it could find."  
"Are you saying we're not Charmed?"  
"Well, the theory is, if Prue were to lose her demonic aspect - then the remaining power of the Charmed Ones would be free to return. But it's only a theory."  
"To think I trusted you," Paige fumed.  
"I told you the truth," Buckland protested. "That's exactly what I planned to do and made no secret of it. I just didn't share any information as to why I thought I could succeed - and very probably could have done so, if not for this cretin," he glared at Bennett, who was finally starting to sit up and pay attention to the conversation. "He was going to warn you of the true nature of your plight - and while you had no reason to trust him, what he would have said to you would certainly have aroused your suspicions."  
"You were going to take my sister to Hell," Paige hissed.  
"I wanted to make her a Queen," Buckland was pleading for understanding. "And what a splendid consort to the Source she would have made. Which you can still do, by the way," he added, speaking to Prue. "No damage has been done to your demonic powers yet. You can still rule the world, Prue."  
"You need to do something about that selective hearing of yours, Rex," Prue countered dryly. "I told you, and I keep telling you, my sisters and I are _not_ going to Hell with you."  
Prue knelt beside her father's chair. She took one of his hands in hers and looked at him somberly. "Is he telling the truth, dad?"  
"They wanted to kill you," Bennett pleaded. "No matter what you may think of me, Prue, I couldn't just stand by and watch - while someone killed the only child I have left."  
Prue bowed her head, momentarily overwhelmed.  
"What can we do?" Phoebe asked.  
"The demon claims he can get his powers back without killing Prue," Bennett answered.  
"Demons lie," sneered Paige, glaring angrily at Buckland.  
"He seemed to think it could be done," Bennett shrugged. He gave his daughter a despairing look. "I'm so sorry, Prudence. I don't know what to do."  
"It's okay, dad." Prue stood up and looked at Buckland. "Would this transfer work?"  
Buckland gave Prue a look of complete dismay. "Well..."  
"Rex -!"  
"Yes, Prue, as far as I understand it, it would work. But the demon cannot be trusted. He's far more likely to simply kill you and reclaim his power that way."  
"Yeah, and that part's not happening," declared Phoebe Halliwell.  
"And if he gets his power back -"  
"Then the remaining Charmed power, the one that belonged to your sister Piper, would now reside within you. Again. In theory."  
Phoebe's eyes narrowed as she glared at Buckland. "He's lying," she said simply.  
Prue looked at her sister. "What?"  
"Rex is lying to us - again." Phoebe turned to look at Prue. "You already have the power to freeze time," she said quietly. "You've been doing it for weeks. It's just that none of us have been paying attention."  
"She has?" Paige frowned.  
"Four course meals in ten minutes?" Phoebe reminded her. "A full breakfast in a finger snap?"  
Paige inhaled sharply. "You mean Prue can -"  
"You've had the power since the first day I met you," Phoebe said to Prue. "That very first night I stayed with you. A little bit of Piper's power has always been with you. That's why Paige got your old power - you really did lose yours on the night of the battle."  
Prue looked like she might crumple at any moment. "And Piper was so close to me..." her voice trailed off, the memory too horrible to re-live.  
"The power is probably muted because of the demonic power. He's not lying about that part."  
"He's not lying about this other demon wanting to kill Prue, either," Bennett interjected.  
"So, what do we do?" Paige asked.  
"What we always do," Phoebe growled. "We vanquish demons."  
"Oh, don't be obtuse, Phoebe," Buckland chided her. "You need this demon alive. At least long enough to remove his power safely from your sister. I am assuming you _don't_ want her to retain her demonic aspect...?"  
Paige glanced at Phoebe. "He's got us there."  
Phoebe glared at Buckland. "Can you help us safely remove the power from Prue?"  
"Yes, of course."  
"You're _not_ going to trust him?" Paige cried in dismay.  
"Of course I'm not going to trust him," Phoebe declared, not taking her eyes off Buckland. "You're going to help us, Rex, and so help me, if you try anything at all, I will have Paige orb your manhood into the nearest live volcano."  
"You are in a vituperative mood this morning, aren't you?" Buckland sighed. "Phoebe, Paige, if you should know any one thing about me by now, I care about your sister. Deeply. I have no desire to see her harmed. I certainly won't do anything that might get her killed. While I might try to seduce her to evil, my malfeasance stops there."  
Paige looked to Phoebe. She nodded grimly. "We can trust him that much," she allowed.  
Prue stepped forward, looking intently at Buckland, until they were nearly nose-to-nose.  
"Don't look at me like that," he pleaded. "As long as there was the slightest chance I could persuade you to join the forces of darkness of your own free will, I had to try."  
"This is the very last time we're having this conversation, Rex."  
Buckland bowed his head in chagrin. "I understand."  
"And I think it would be best if this is the last conversation we ever have."  
"Then let me say one last thing." Buckland regarded her somberly. "Whatever side you choose, Prue, you are worthy of being a Queen. Never let anyone tell you otherwise."  
They stared at each other for a long moment, but not with hostility; as Prue turned away, there was genuine sadness in her eyes - as there was in Buckland's.  
Paige drew Phoebe aside. "What's our plan, then?" she whispered.  
"Seems simple enough to me," Phoebe said grimly. "We help Rex to help this other demon suck his powers out of Prue -"  
"And then we vanquish them both?"  
Phoebe cast a sidelong glance at Prue. "Do you think she would forgive us, if we did that?"  
"Wouldn't it be in her best interest if we did, no matter what?" Paige countered. "At least she'll be alive to curse our names forevermore."  
"There is that." Phoebe regarded her sister appraisingly. "Ready to learn how to vanquish a demon?"  
Paige nodded emphatically. "Hell, yes."  
"Then let's retire to the kitchen, baby sister. We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

Phoebe and Paige barricaded themselves in Prue's kitchen, along with Patience, and did not let anyone enter, even Prue herself.  
"You can't help us with this," Phoebe tried to explain to her older sister. "You're not the doctor, you're the patient. Whatever spell Paige and I come up with, we'll have to cast on our own."  
"But what if you need a power of three spell?" Prue fretted.  
"Prue - whatever happens, you're going to have to let your sisters handle this," Phoebe said firmly.  
So Prue sat in the living room with Rex Buckland and Victor Bennett, in painful, awkward silence. Buckland made no attempt to engage in conversation. He parked himself in one of the chairs and waited silently with the patience of the damned.  
Prue glanced over at her father. Victor Bennett was studying her, trying to reconcile the woman in front of him now with the daughter he'd left behind so many years ago.  
"When are you due?" he asked finally.  
Prue almost jumped. "Sorry, what?"  
"I was just wondering when the baby was coming."  
"I'm just about four months along now."  
"And Andy is gone, so you've obviously met someone else."  
"Yes. I have."  
"A good man?"  
"A very good man."  
Bennett sighed sadly. "You don't want to talk about this. I'm sorry. I have no right to ask."  
"I'm getting married to him in a week."  
"Married?"  
"I don't like being a widow."  
"I suppose that's worse than a divorce."  
Prue frowned. "You never divorced mom."  
"She didn't live long enough."  
Prue looked at Bennett with complete disgust. "You bastard," she hissed.  
"Your mother left me, Prue. Not the other way around. What's worse, she left me for a White Lighter - one of those 'people' who supposedly is above that sort of thing."  
After all this time, none of the bitterness had left her father's voice.  
"That still doesn't excuse you for abandoning your children," Prue said coldly.  
"No. It doesn't," Bennett agreed. "I just hope you never find yourself in a position with your husband, like I found myself in with my wife. I lost your mother twice. That sort of betrayal never leaves a person. Not ever."  
"What are you expecting from me? Sympathy?"  
Bennett regarded his daughter for a long moment, then turned his gaze away.  
"I suppose it is too much to ask," he said, and lapsed into sullen silence. 

Phoebe and Paige worked quickly and methodically, creating both a potion and a curse spell to deal with the demons they expected to vanquish. Very few words were spoken between them as they worked, knowing only too well that their niece was in earshot, and while the child had no idea what was going on, she could certainly sense that all was not right.  
"If Prue is done with the whole flaming eye thing, we could let Patience sit with her," Paige suggested quietly, and Phoebe nodded.  
Paige held out her hand to her niece. "Come on, sweetie, you're gonna sit with mommy awhile, okay?"  
Paige led Patience into the living room, and the child immediately crawled up into her mother's lap. Prue pulled her close, hugged her tightly and kissed her repeatedly. Paige watched them for just a moment to make sure all was well. She cast a quick glance at the other two men in the room, but Rex Buckland was leaning forward in his chair, staring at the floor; Victor Bennett looked completely lost in a world inside his own head. Paige returned to the kitchen.  
"What are we going to do about Patience?" she asked Phoebe.  
"That's a good question," Phoebe sighed. "We can't take her with us. And we can't leave her here by herself."  
"So, we break up the boys' stag party?"  
Phoebe grimaced. "Is there any chance at all you could orb Kai out of there, without arousing suspicion?"  
"I could try. We don't want all the menfolk running back here in a panic, just because we're demon hunting."  
Phoebe nodded grimly; all they could do was make the best out of a bad situation. "Thank God the boys decided to stay in town for poker night. At least you don't have to orb to Vegas."  
"I'm not even sure I could orb that far," Paige admitted.  
"Well, according to Rex, you should be able to orb just about anywhere, even heaven - if you know how to get there. The boys are holed up at Henry's place?"  
"Yup. And that's one place I can find with my eyes closed."  
"Okay. Hurry back."  
Paige closed her eyes, and a swarm of bright white lights encircled her; then she was gone.  
She returned approximately ten minutes later, with Kai on her arm. The reek of tobacco smoke was overpowering.  
"Good _grief!"_ Phoebe gasped, waving her hand in front of her face to dispel the fumes. "Are you guys trying to asphyxiate yourselves?"  
"It's a smoke lodge," Kai grinned. "A time honored male bonding tradition celebrated in almost every culture. Uhh, you probably don't want to kiss me right now."  
"That's for sure," Phoebe grimaced, trying to keep from coughing. As the cigar smoke dissipated, the reek of alcohol was becoming more evident.  
Kai turned to Paige. "So that's orbing, huh? Pretty cool. Way better than commuting."  
"Thanks. I like it."  
"Do we have a cover story?" Phoebe asked.  
Paige shook her head. "All I said was, we needed to borrow Kai for about two hours for a wedding surprise. That's all he knows, and that's all the boys know."  
Kai looked at each of the sisters in turn. "Uh, should I ask what's going on?"  
"NO," Phoebe and Paige told him in perfect unison.  
"Sweetie, we just need you to watch our niece for about two hours," Phoebe said.  
"That I can do," Kai assured her.  
"Thanks." She gave him an overly quick peck on the cheek. Kai gave her a rueful grin.  
"Sorry. I promise I'll be all cleaned up in time for our next sleepover."  
"You'd better. Okay, are we ready?"  
Paige bobbed her head solemnly. "As we're going to be."  
Kai made to follow them, but Phoebe shook her head and pointed towards the bathroom. "You. Fumigate yourself. NOW," she ordered.  
Kai grinned and disappeared down the hallway. Phoebe knelt down by the couch where Prue and Patience were sitting.  
"Hey, sweetie," Phoebe smiled reassuringly, addressing her niece. "Kai is going to stay with you for a little while, okay? And we'll be home very soon."  
Patience nodded, but it was clear she wasn't happy with the arrangement. Phoebe leaned in and kissed her niece's forehead.  
"Prue, it's time to go," she told her sister.  
The men stood up expectantly. Phoebe turned to Bennett.  
"I'm assuming you have a pre-arranged meeting place with this demon?"  
Bennett nodded. "There's something else you should know," he said quietly. "He wants your sister. I mean, Paige."  
"Me? Why does he want me?" Paige frowned.  
Bennett shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," he answered. "But I'm sure it's nothing good."  
"I'll protect her," said Rex Buckland.  
Paige glared at him. "The hell you will," she snarled.  
"I'm no fool," Buckland said quietly. "I know the only way I'm surviving this day is to see all three sisters returned safely home. And that's what I mean to do. Call it my own enlightened self-interest, if you can believe nothing else of me."  
Paige looked over to Phoebe, and she nodded.  
"All right," she sighed heavily. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

A few minutes later, Paige, Phoebe, Prue, Bennett and Buckland arrived outside a nondescript office building, orbed to the site by Paige. Bennett appeared knock-kneed at the method of travel, but none of the sisters seemed particularly inclined to help him.  
Phoebe smiled tersely at her sister. "Party of five. Nice work, Paige."  
Paige returned the smile, clearly relieved. "Thanks. Wasn't sure if I could actually do that."  
"This is the place?" Prue asked her father.  
Victor Bennett nodded queasily. "Second floor, first office door on the right."  
"A demon with an office?" Paige raised an eyebrow.  
"It's probably an abandoned location which he glamours as needed," Buckland surmised.  
They walked into the lobby, and decided to take the stairwell to the second floor, rather than use the elevator. As they came out onto the landing, all conversation ceased. Bennett led them to the office door and nodded. He knocked twice, perfunctorily, then opened the door.  
The office had once again resumed its opulent appearance, with deep pile carpet, a large desk and bookshelves of dark mahogany wood, filled with ornate volumes. A slender man with a red cast to his eyes was seated behind the desk. He regarded them all with obvious displeasure.  
"You brought all the Charmed Ones," he said to Bennett. "And another demon besides. This, I did not expect."  
"We're here to give you what you want," said Prue, stepping forward. "My sisters and this - other - are here to ensure you take only that which belongs to you, and nothing more."  
The man's lip curled with annoyance. "I had hoped to end the threat of the Charmed Ones by taking the half-breed," he said, with a glance at Paige. "But I see I shall to content myself with the restoration of my own gifts. For now."  
"Yeah, and who the hell are you?" Paige demanded, angry at the slight shown to her.  
"He's a yaoguai," Buckland said. "His title is unimportant."  
"What's a - yaoguai?" Phoebe frowned, tripping over the unfamiliar word.  
"He's not that different from other demons or warlocks you've met. Traditionally, he and his kind acquire magical powers by stealing them from others - good witches, especially."  
"I have acquired my abilities through the ceaseless practice of the Tao," the demon said curtly, clearly offended. "My powers were stolen from me, yet I came by them without theft."  
"And we have come to restore them," Prue assured him.  
The man regarded her with heavy-lidded eyes. "You are not frightened of me, Charmed One."  
"Your kind does not frighten me," Prue said simply. "But you would be very wise, to be frightened of me and my sisters."  
"I respect the power that you wield," the demon nodded. "Very well. I shall take that which belongs to me, and no more. And then we shall all depart from this place, with no malice or treachery shown to any. Are we agreed?"  
He fixed his eyes upon Paige. "You, apprentice to witches, will leave all your filthy potions outside this office. And if you attempt to cast any spells, I will seal your lips to prevent your speaking. I will not allow you to end me this day."  
Paige looked despairingly at Phoebe. Her older sister nodded. "It's all right, Paige. Do as he says."  
Reluctantly, Paige slipped her purse off her shoulder, stepped to the door and left it outside.  
She returned to the group and glared at the demon. "Satisfied?"  
The demon stood up slowly, and came from behind the desk. With a casual wave of his hand, a long divan with soft cushions and pillows appeared at the side of the room.  
"Please be seated," he said to Prue, politely. "The procedure is brief, but there will be some discomfort. Relax yourself as best you can."  
With a quick glance to each of her sisters, Prue walked over to the divan, and slowly sat down on it; assured of its comfort, she stretched out on her back, arms folded over her swelling abdomen.  
As the demon approached the couch, Buckland stepped in line beside him. "There will be no tricks, _mó,"_ he said.  
The demon merely snorted contemptuously. "It is from _you_ that treachery is expected," he sneered. "A demon without strength, who can resort only to deceit. Your kind sickens me."  
The demon splayed his long, skeletal fingers a few inches above Prue's prone body, and he closed his eyes and began to chant, a sing-song cadence of which Paige could catch only a few phrases in Cantonese. But the spell was so vile that even just listening to it, only partially comprehending it, made her sick to her stomach.  
As the demon chanted, a faint glow began to appear around Prue's body - an aura of light that grew brighter and brighter, and slowly, tendrils of luminescence snaked upwards from Prue's body into the palms of the demon's hands. Prue arched her back, grimacing; finally involuntarily crying out in pain.  
Phoebe and Paige clutched each other, aghast. Buckland warned them off.  
"It's working," he assured them tersely.  
There was a flare of blinding light as a wave of energy passed between the witch and the demon, and Prue screamed; then the light faded, and Prue relaxed, her body going limp.  
Buckland knelt by her side and felt her pulse.  
Prue's eyes fluttered open. "That felt... terrible," she croaked.  
"No doubt," Buckland agreed solemnly.  
The demon's body began to glow and he spread his arms wide. "This is _magnificent,"_ he exulted. "I have not been whole in years."  
His entire body now seemed to be engulfed in flame. He smiled at Phoebe and Paige. "My thanks to you, and your sister," he said, almost cordially. "I am myself again - and more than strong enough to end a coven of fledgling witches who have yet to learn their craft."  
He smiled malevolently, holding a burning fireball in each hand.  
Without hesitation, Paige brought her hands up in front of her face, and made a few brief, terse signings in the air. As the demon attempted to strike with his fireballs, he found his own energy was being directed back, inwards, against himself.  
"What - are you _doing?"_ he demanded. "This isn't possible - you haven't the power or the skill - you are nothing but a White Lighter with witches' blood!"  
"You set the rules," Phoebe said grimly, as Paige continued to sign. "We shall all depart from this place, with no malice or treachery shown. Your words, demon. And you lied."  
Paige made one final, emphatic gesture, and the ball of fire now consumed its originator where he stood. _"No,"_ he screamed in futile denial. "No... NO!"  
And then he was gone, leaving a charred mark on the floor to show where he had once stood.  
"And I don't need to speak aloud to cast _my_ spells," Paige spat. "Fucking moron."  
"Language, Paige, _please,"_ Prue grimaced, as she sat up slowly, assisted by Buckland. "My kid is gonna learn that kind of stuff in the schoolyard in another year as it is. She doesn't need an early start."  
"Prue, are you okay?" Phoebe asked anxiously.  
"Actually, I feel pretty great," Prue admitted. "Sore, obviously." She smiled weakly at Paige. "Nice work there, baby sister."  
Phoebe hugged Paige exuberantly. "You vanquished your very first demon - all by yourself!"  
Buckland helped Prue get to her feet - and just in time, for as she stood up, the contents of the room, divan, desk, bookshelves and all, vanished from sight.  
"The glamour is gone," Buckland commented. "Along with the evil that created it."  
"Prue - does that mean you have your Charmed powers now?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, Piper's powers?"  
"I don't know," Prue answered. "I guess there's only one way to find out."  
She gestured with her hands in Buckland's direction, and the demon froze where he stood.  
"Oh, my God," Phoebe exclaimed. "You _do_ have Piper's power!"  
"Unless he's faking," Paige glowered.  
Paige walked up to Buckland, staring at him with undisguised malice. Then, without warning, she brought her knee up between his legs with a sudden and vicious kick. Buckland made no sound or motion whatever.  
"Not faking," Paige reported.  
Prue and Phoebe stared at their little sister, shocked.  
"Uhh, good way to work through those anger management issues there, Paige," Phoebe said hesitantly.  
"I know," Paige said brightly. "I feel better already."  
"What about Victor?"  
The sisters turned as one to look at Prue's father. Bennett was staring at all of them, slack-jawed. His knees buckled, and Phoebe caught him just quickly enough to control his fall as he passed out in a dead faint.  
"Okay, I'm guessing the whole craft thing is a little too much for your dad," Paige commented.  
Prue looked down at her father, and for the first time, something like sympathy crossed her face. "I think maybe it always was," she said sadly.  
"Well, then let's drop your father off at the hospital on our way back, just in case," Phoebe suggested, cradling Bennett's head in her lap.  
"What do we do about - him?" Paige asked, jerking a thumb in Buckland's direction.  
"We were going to vanquish him," Phoebe confessed to Prue.  
Prue looked at Buckland sadly, and then shook her head. "Leave him," she decided. "The yaoguai was right. He's a trickster, nothing more. And we're smart enough to deal with him, if he's ever stupid enough to try anything in the future. And besides, we don't need a widowed Kaitlyn turning up on our doorstep, looking for vengeance. Some troubles just aren't worth getting into."  
As the sisters helped Bennett to his feet, Paige began to orb them away; but just before they vanished, they could hear a distinct grunt of profound pain from somewhere behind them, followed by the sound of a body hitting the concrete floor.  
"And our work here is done," Paige declared proudly, as they vanished.

* * * 

And so it came to pass that Prudence Trudeau married Darryl Morris on the 20th day of May, in a brief but beautiful church service; not surprisingly, Rex Buckland and his wife declined to appear at either the wedding or at the reception afterwards. Less surprising, but perhaps more disappointing, especially to Prue, was the absence of Victor Bennett - who declined even to send a card or gift or other acknowledgement to the happy couple.  
More happily, Paige's father Samuel Wilder attended not only the wedding service but the reception afterwards, nattily dressed in a rented tuxedo. He presented a medium-sized box of beautifully polished cherrywood to Prue.  
"This isn't much," he admitted a little awkwardly. "And it's really more for the sisters, than it is for you and Darryl. I collected every scrap I could find from Patty - letters we wrote to each other, mostly. But there's also some old photos in there, and a couple of other trinkets I thought you might like to have."  
"It's wonderful, Sam," Prue said, hugging him tightly. "I couldn't ask for a better present. Thank you."  
To Phoebe's delight, all three of her sisters from her other world also agreed to attend, and as they came through the portal that Phoebe set up for them, everyone was surprised to see younger Prue turning up with her hair colored bright red.  
"I don't know if I'm keeping it," she demurred shyly, as Phoebe fussed over her new appearance. "But I wanted to be sure, at least for this weekend, people could tell me and Prue apart."  
"I think it's awesome," said taller Paige, grinning and tugging at her own bright red locks.  
The reception was a joyful affair. For the couple's first dance, the live jazz band began a liberally sweetened medley of "Too Young To Go Steady" and "Say It Over And Over Again".  
Neither Prue nor Darryl seemed to notice when other couples joined them on the dance floor several minutes later. Darryl smiled tenderly at his new bride.  
"It's okay to say you miss him," he said, holding her close. "I miss him, too."  
"I do miss Andy," Prue admitted, but then she smiled radiantly. "But I think he would approve of us. Besides - I've been blessed twice with strong, decent men that any woman would be lucky to have. I couldn't ask for more." She kissed him passionately. "I love you, Darryl Morris."  
"And I love you... Mrs. Morris."  
Paige tugged at Sam's hand. "Come on, dad, let's have a father daughter dance," she pleaded. As Wilder hesitated, Phoebe gave him a playful nudge.  
"Go on, Sam," Phoebe grinned. "If you really want to get into your daughter's good graces, this is a _great_ way to start."  
Sam Wilder smiled ruefully at his daughter. "I - don't really know how to dance," he admitted.  
Paige squeezed his hand tightly. "You don't need to know how," she assured him in a tender voice; and with that, they stepped out onto the floor together.  
"Aww," Phoebe cooed, resting her head against Henry's shoulder. "Doesn't that make your heart melt?"  
"It's good to see her so happy," Henry grinned. "And I have you to thank for most of that."  
"She's my sister, Henry. Of course I'm going to look out for her."  
"All the same, thank you." He gave Phoebe a grateful smile. "You saved her life, and by extension you've saved mine. I wouldn't go so far as to say you've saved the lives of almost everyone in this room." Hoping to keep the remark from seeming maudlin, he added with a grin, "You must be magic."  
Phoebe laughed heartily.  
Danny and Ellen Kershaw came up to them as they were headed for the dance floor. "Danny! Ellen!" Phoebe greeted each of them with an exuberant hug. To Kershaw, she added, "Thanks so much for giving me time to take care of my sister's wedding, before I show up for work."  
The pudgy detective grinned. "It's not a problem, Phoebe. We'll be waiting for you, whenever you're ready to walk through the door." He looked at Darryl and Prue wistfully. "There's two people right there that I care about very deeply," he confessed, "I've known Morris since he was a cadet. I've known Prudence almost as long. And I'm so glad to see the two of them together."  
"Yeah," Phoebe sighed. "So are we."  
"Andy would be so happy to see this."  
"You think so?"  
Kershaw gave Phoebe a wistful smile. "I know so," he assured her, and then stepped out onto the dance floor with his wife.

As the evening wound down, Phoebe pulled Piper aside for a private talk in the corner of the patio, away from the bustle and celebration inside.  
"You look like you're doing better," Phoebe commented, hoping to smooth the way for the conversation she wanted to have.  
"Yeah, I am," Piper nodded thoughtfully. "Leo and I are really starting to get serious - and I like that. A lot."  
"Have you given any thought to - you know?" Phoebe asked shyly.  
"Phoebe..." Piper sighed, not sure where to begin. "Look. You found a place and a group of people with whom you can practice magic, and that's great -"  
"They're not a 'group of people', Piper. They're my sisters. And they're _your_ sisters, too."  
"Okay." Piper conceded the point without argument. "Yes. You're right. I'm just saying, you have a situation where you can be happy, and I'm happy for you. But I want to be happy, too. And happiness for me means having a normal life. It means shoes and boyfriends and cooking and babies - not demons and warlocks and potions and spells."  
"Piper -"  
"This isn't a lapse, Phoebe. It's not a failure of nerve. And I'm certainly not doing this because I'm angry with you, or trying to get back at you in some way. I wanted my life back. I wanted to be just like everybody else. Normal."  
Phoebe bit her lip. "Piper, you were _born_ a witch. Saying you're not doesn't change that."  
"No, but I want to be able to choose the kind of life I'm going to have. And I want a life that doesn't include magic."  
Phoebe hung her head despairingly. Piper reached over and brushed a stray lock of hair away from her sister's face.  
"I'm not trying to hurt you, Phoebe," she said quietly. "This was a decision I needed to make for myself. It's not meant to reflect on you."  
"But it _does_ reflect on me, Piper, can't you see that?"  
"Phoebe..." Piper looked at her sister sadly. When she resumed speaking, her voice was low and strained. "When you left us, you hurt me. You hurt me badly. And you hurt Prue."  
"Piper -" Phoebe cried out, dismayed.  
"Let me finish, Phoebe, please. When we first found out we were witches, you were the only one of us who thought it was something wonderful. Prue and I were horrified. But the one thing we could count on - _I_ could count on - is that you were going to be there. No matter what weird, demonic thing happened, I knew my sisters would be there to see it through with me. And that's not true any more."  
Piper shifted in her chair, uncomfortable with the topic rather than the seat. "I don't blame you for what happened when you were kidnapped. You had no choice in that. But when you came home to us, then you _did_ have a choice. And you left your family to live your life with a set of complete strangers. You _left_ us, Phoebe. Prue and I needed you, and you abandoned us. And when you left, the magic was gone. There was no point to being Charmed at all."  
"Piper -"  
"It's over, Phoebe," Piper declared, not angrily, but with finality. "Please don't bring up the subject again." 

A short time later, Paige and Henry prepared to leave early, drawing babysitting duty with Patience for the first night of Prue and Darryl's honeymoon. Paige drew Phoebe aside.  
"Hey, you okay?" she asked, seeing Phoebe's eyes all puffy and swollen.  
Phoebe hugged her tightly. "Yeah," she exhaled deeply. "Just... drama with my sisters. I'll see you at the apartment later."  
"Is there anything I can do for you?"  
"If you're going to be home when I get there, that's all I need."  
"Okay." Impulsively, Paige kissed her sister on the cheek. "See you later, sweetie."  
After Paige had left, Phoebe went in search of her now red-haired Prue. She found inside the reception hall, at one of the far tables, for the moment seated by herself. Phoebe stepped up behind Prue and hugged her tightly.  
"Please tell me you don't hate me," she murmured, her face pressed against her sister's back.  
"I guess you've been talking to Piper," was Prue's mild response.  
"More like Piper was talking at me."  
"Yeah. I had a feeling that might happen." She slipped her hands over her sisters' hands and squeezed them gently. "Come and sit down," she suggested.  
Phoebe took the empty seat beside her. Prue gave her sister a somber but encouraging smile.  
"First of all. No. I _don't_ hate you."  
"Are you mad at me, then?"  
"A little bit," Prue admitted. "For purely selfish reasons I can't defend."  
Phoebe frowned. "I don't understand."  
"Phoebe - I meant what I said to you before. You found yourself in an impossible situation and you did something incredibly brave. And I have to be honest. I don't think I could have done anywhere half as well as you did."  
Phoebe drew in her breath sharply; this was not something she expected.  
"Am I angry and resentful that you didn't stay with us? Of course I am," Prue continued. "But then I think about all the times I kept yelling at you to be more responsible, to get a job, to make something of yourself - well - you've done all those things, and more. I can't ask any more of you than that."  
"You mean - "  
"You've really changed since you've been here, Phoebe. You've grown so much. You got thrown into a completely different world, without warning, and against your will, and not only did you make a life for yourself - you've helped save so many other people along the way. And I'm proud of you, Phoebe. Very proud."  
"Piper thinks I tore the family apart."  
"A demon tore our family apart," Prue reminded her sister in a stern tone. "That was not your fault."  
"I should have stayed with you."  
"And then your other Prue and your other Paige would have had their hearts broken. Not to mention your niece. There was no right answer, Phoebe."  
"That's what you always say," Phoebe said, trying desperately to hold back tears. "The other you, I mean."  
"She's lucky to have you." Unexpectedly, Prue leaned forward and kissed her sister's cheek. The tears began to spill down Phoebe's cheeks.  
"Please tell me what to do," she said brokenly. "I don't know what to do."  
"There is one thing you can do for me, that will make me incredibly happy. And it might go a long way to making Piper happy, too."  
"Name it," Phoebe begged.  
"Every Sunday morning, when you get up, no matter where you are, or who you're with - call me. Spend ten minutes on the phone with me on Sunday mornings. Tell me about your day. Your week. Your life. Tell me about the people and things that make you happy. Tell me about all the little things that annoy you. Let me know what Paige and Prue and everyone else is doing. Spend that ten minutes every week sharing your life with me. That's all I ask. Do that for me, and you'll make me the happiest big sister in two worlds."  
Openly sobbing now, Phoebe fell into her sister's arms. Prue hugged her tightly.  
"I love you, Phoebe Halliwell," she murmured softly, kissing her sister's forehead. "No matter where you are, or where you go, or what company you keep - you are my brave, beautiful, magical baby sister. I will share you with a hundred sisters on a hundred worlds. But no one will ever love you half as much as I do."

Some hours later, as the reception hall began to empty out, and the newlyweds retreated to the spa downtown for their "staycation" honeymoon, Phoebe dutifully re-opened the portal to allow her other sisters to return home.  
After an awkward pause, Piper hugged Phoebe tightly.  
"Phoebe, I'm so sorry about what I said to you earlier," she murmured in her sister's ear. "I never meant to dump on you like that. It was selfish of me."  
"Tell me what you want, and I'll do it," Phoebe pleaded. "If you want me to come home, then that's what I'll do."  
Piper regarded her baby sister for a long moment, then shook her head sadly.  
"No," she sighed. "There's no point in making both of us miserable. You made your choice, and I want you to be okay with that."  
"Yeah, but I can't, if you're not okay with it too."  
"I'm ... working on it," Piper allowed. "Give me time. Okay? I really _do_ want you to be happy, Phoebe. Promise." With some effort, she managed a reconciling smile. "Come visit me. Lots?"  
"I will," Phoebe vowed, more hot tears squeezing out from her eyelids. "I will, I will."  
Phoebe looked up to see Prue smiling somberly at them both; and she realized that Piper's gesture had probably come after having a few pointed words with her oldest sister. Through her tears, she smiled gratefully. _Prue always does what's right. Even when it hurts her._

Phoebe spent almost all of the next day in bed, curled up in a near-fetal position, sometimes sleeping, sometimes struggling through morose thoughts and pangs of guilt. She had come home at almost two in the morning, so she hoped her momentary absence would have a plausible excuse. Prue's peacemaking gestures aside, she needed some time to lick her wounds.  
Piper was right, her decision had hurt her family. But Prue was also right - there was no one good choice to make. Phoebe pondered the motto that Paige had tattooed across her rib cage: _of two evils, the lesser is always to be chosen._ And on balance, she was sure she had chosen the place she truly needed to be - even if that choice had not come without cost.  
Phoebe finally emerged from her bedroom in the late afternoon, and was greeted joyfully by both her niece and her sister, which did wonders to heal her fractured spirit. They went to the park together and did swings and slides, and came home for a festive meal of fish sticks and apple juice. As they were cleaning up the kitchen afterwards, without warning, Paige stepped up behind Phoebe and grabbed her in a fierce bear hug. "This is _my_ Pheeble," she declared to no one in particular. _"Mine!"_  
Patience burst into fits of giggles at Paige's exuberant display of affection and Phoebe's happy bemusement. Paige finally released her sister from her cobra death grip and gave her sweetest, most encouraging smile.  
"Share story time with us?" she asked quietly.  
Phoebe looked at her baby sister, and suddenly felt something akin to a premonition; she was aware, acutely, of how deeply she was loved, how important it was for her to be here, in this place, in this time, with these people; and that somehow, by some divine grace, it would all come out right. She smiled at Paige, her eyes shining.  
"Thanks," she answered, her voice whisper soft. "I'd love to."  
They settled onto the sofa hide-a-bed together, Paige, Patience and Phoebe; as they drew up the blankets over themselves, the child sandwiched herself between her aunties.  
"What'll it be tonight?" Paige asked her niece, as if she was a waitress taking a drink order.  
"The Monkey King!" Patience pleaded.  
"Really. That one again? Are you sure?"  
"Yeah!"  
"Now, are you going to stay awake for the whole story this time?" Paige asked her niece with mock sternness.  
"Yes, Auntie Paige."  
"That's good, because I've been practicing _all_ my monkey voices, and I don't want you to miss any of them."  
Patience giggled happily, and snuggled down into the blankets.  
Before she began her story, Paige looked over at Phoebe, who had propped herself up on one elbow, watching her, still subdued but smiling.  
Paige's eyes glistened with sudden tenderness. She silently mouthed the words "I love you" to her sister, who received them like a benediction; then Phoebe silently whispered them back. Paige then gave her full attention to her niece.  
"Okay, then," Paige said, settling herself into the pillows and blankets, "Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, in a place known as the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, there sat a magic egg. And the wind from the East blew on the magic egg, and from the egg came a monkey made of stone, and his name was Sun Wukong..."  



End file.
